John Bradford ( 1510 - 1555 ) - prebendiary of St. Paul's Cathedral . A participant in the English Reformation and a martyr , he was remembered in his own words: “If it weren’t the mercy of God, John Bradford would go like that.” He uttered this phrase when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London and saw a criminal sent to execution. [one]
| John Bradford | |
|---|---|
| John bradford | |
 | |
| Birth | 1510 Blakely , England |
| Death | 1555 London |
| Is revered | Anglican Church |
| In the face | |
Content
- 1 life
- 2 Death
- 3 notes
- 4 References
Life
Born in 1510 in a wealthy family. Got a good education at the Manchester school (grammar school). He showed talents in calculations and finances, so he served under John Harrington, the treasurer of the English army during the wars that Henry VIII started.
He enrolled in law at London's Inner Temple. Under the influence of his comrade, he joined the English Reformation , and this forced him to abandon the legal course.
In 1548, he took up theology at Katherine Hall (now the College of St. Katharina) at Cambridge University , and then moved to Pembroke College. Here he was often called "Saint Bradford" - not sarcastically, but only because of his respectful attitude towards God.
In 1550, he was ordained priest by Bishop Nicholas Ridley . He served as a traveling preacher, mostly in Lancashire and Cheshire .
After the death of Edward VI in 1553, Catholic Mary I ascended the throne. In the early months of her reign, Bradford, a prominent supporter of the Church of England , was arrested and imprisoned on suspicion of “outrage from the people.” He will not leave the Tower of London anymore . While in prison, he continued to write religious articles and preach to everyone who gathered around.
He happened to share the camera with three other reformers: Archbishop Thomas Cranmer , Bishop Nicholas Ridley (the one who ordained him) and Hugh Latimer . The three of them studied the New Testament , and all four became martyrs.
It was in the Tower that Bradford saw a group of prisoners who were marching to the place of execution, and said: “If it weren’t God's mercy, John Bradford would go like that.” This phrase has become an aphorism, having changed a little, and now it often sounds like this: “If it weren’t the mercy of God, so would I.
Death
On January 31, 1555, Bradford was sentenced to death, and then on June 30 or July 15 he was transferred to Newgate Prison for execution by burning at a pillar. The execution, scheduled for 4 am, was postponed due to the crowd. Bradford was chained to a pillar in Smithfield (London) with a young man named John Leaf. Finally, he asked for forgiveness from everyone whom he could offend, and then turned to his comrade and said: “Be calm, brother; for we will have a noble dinner with the Lord tonight! ”
Bradford is buried in Smithfield (London) at the Marian Martyrs' Monument Monument. [2]
Notes
- ↑ quote from the "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson, Facts on File, New York, 1997.
- ↑ John Bradford's memorial page on Find A Grave .
Links
- Extensive Biography, Writings, and a picture of John Bradford
- Grace and truth
- Encyclopedia brittania
- Biography of bradford
- Sketch of the execution of john bradford
- Bradford in Foxe's Book of Martyrs (link not available)
- Image Collection of Bradford from the National Portrait Gallery
- The Old Man and the New by Bradford
- John Bradford's memorial page on Find A Grave